


Toy Vault

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, M/M, Obsession, Obsessive Behavior, Psychological Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 14:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17367986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Toys are something North is deeply connected to. Each one means something to him and yet, sometimes the toys don't make it to the child they were meant to. Those toys get locked away in North's Toy Vault. One day, several of those special toys go missing and North starts thinking maybe Jack might have something to do with it.





	Toy Vault

Jack Frost yawned a bit as E. Aster Bunnymund droned on and on about the upcoming Easter and all his plans for this year. Easter was only in a few days, so it wasn’t that surprising he was like this, but still, he could talk and that was saying something. Jack could only listen so many times about the different combination of egg colors and chocolate ratios before it started to all sound the same to him. Bunnymund whirled on him, arms crossed.

“I’m sorry, am I boring you, Snowflake?” Bunnymund demanded.

Jack snorted and sat up a little straighter from his place against the window. It was the farthest he could get from the fireplace without being outside and so he had claimed it as his unofficial official guardian seat. North had even added a nice soft cushion and a small bookshelf next to it for him to put stuff on.

“No, no, never, Cottontail! I’m completely enraptured. Please continue.” Jack said with a mock bow.

Bunnymund huffed angrily and went back to talk about yellow peeps or something like that. Jack just rolled his eyes fondly and sat back, glancing out the window at the snow falling outside. Even though Bunnymund continued to drone on, Jack found himself relaxing, getting lost in the simple peace of watching the snow fall. Nearby, Sanderson Mansnoozie, or Sandy, was crafting dreams, listening with half an ear to his fellow guardian talk. He eyed the frost spirit by the window, watching as Jack’s eyelids began to droop.

A small wave of sand drifted over to the other guardian and soon little dolphins played above his head. Pleased that their youngest member was peacefully sleeping, Sandy went back to his other dreams. Toothiana sat next to him, quietly giving directions to her fairies and smiling as she watched Jack sleep. His fairies cooed over his adorable sleeping face, but she quickly got them back on track and sent them off after their toothy prizes.

Nicholas St. North was the only one actually listening to Bunnymund, leaning forward in interest as he sat in his chair with his hand rubbing at his beard. As a fellow holiday spirit, he felt it was his duty to help Bunnymund with his Easter woes, though they seemed to be the exact same every year. That didn’t mean he didn’t glance over at Jack ever so often, a slight smile on his lips.

Bunnymund huffed and crossed his arms. He knew none of his fellow guardians were giving him their full attention and that annoyed him greatly. Glancing at Jack, he had to admit, if only to himself, that Jack was cute when he was sleeping and actually quiet for once. The quiet and peace were quickly shattered by the door bursting open, Phil the Yeti stomping in with his hands waving. North shot to his feet, deeply concerned by what he was saying.

They spoke in Yeti-ish quickly and North crossed his arms, a deep frown on his face. Jack, awoken by the noise, straightened up in his seat, eying the two.

“North?” Toothiana called cautiously.

“Everything ok, mate?” Bunnymund asked.

“No, everything is most certainly not ok, my friend. Several toys are missing from my Toy Vault.” North said angrily.

Jack blinked, startled and wondered what that meant. Bunnymund looked stricken, Toothiana horrified and even Sandy looked alarmed.

“Toy Vault?” Jack asked and North gave a jerky nod.

“They are toys I made special. They are most important to me.” North said turning.

He looked very serious and upset, body shaking. Jack stood up and frowned, glancing around, not quite understanding what the importance was, but understanding it was very serious.

“Maybe the elves took them?” he questioned.

“They know better than to touch that Vault at all!” North boomed and Jack winced.

They were all quiet, looking between themselves. North’s Vault was something no one talked about. Something most spirits didn’t even know about. It was private and deeply connected to North as a holiday spirit. Jack shuffled a bit and looked at Phil.

“Well, maybe we can go look? Five eyes are better than one at least.” Jack suggested.

“Absolutely not! I will go myself, this meeting is dismissed!” North roared and Jack jerked back, frightened.

North stormed out and slowly Toothiana got to her feet, placing her unfinished hot chocolate down on her chair.

“I think it is best we leave North alone right now.” she said quietly as she looked at the door.

“But what is a Toy Vault?” Jack asked.

Bunnymund placed a hand on his shoulder and started moving him towards the window.

“It's a vault containing toys. They are toys North made for children who...didn’t exactly make it to Christmas morning.” Bunnymund said softly.

“What happened to them?” Jack asked.

“They just didn’t make it.” Toothiana said softly.

Jack swallowed and looked down. That could be for a lot of reasons, but suddenly North’s reaction made a lot of sense. North spent time on each and every gift he made. Each one was made special, especially for sickly children. So, to have made a toy and not even get to hand it to the child it was made for must have stung.

“Shouldn’t we be supporting him though? He seemed really upset.” Jack said, but no one would meet his eyes.

“Sweet Tooth, sometimes it is best to just leave someone alone.” Toothiana said simply.

Sandy nodded and even Bunnymund gave a stiff nod. Jack looked between them, trying to get some idea of what was going on, before sighing. Opening the window, he threw himself out, stopping just outside the window. He watched as Sandy flew out in a small rocketship and Toothiana flew off towards the West before sighing and glancing back at the window. He felt wary about leaving North alone like this, especially after such upsetting news. Gathering his courage, he waited a bit longer, until he was sure all the other guardians were gone before flying back inside.

He snuck around and soon managed to find North at the very bottom of his Pole. Standing before a huge Vault, Jack watched in awe as they opened the door and Jack saw what seemed to be hundreds of toys hidden away. North and Phil talked rapidly between themselves as they stood there, it looked like they were arguing. When Phil finally threw up his arms and stormed off, Jack floated down and landed behind North.

“North?” he called, making the man jump and spin around.

Seeing Jack before him must have enraged the older spirit because suddenly, Jack was grabbed. Jack was so startled, he dropped his staff and stood there, eyes wide.

“What are you doing here! I told you to leave!” North demanded, shaking Jack a bit.

For all of Jack’s courage, nothing prepared him for an enraged North. Every time he tried to speak, he was shaken again and North ranted and raved before stopping.

“How did you know where my Vault was?” North demanded.

Jack opened his mouth, maybe to explain, but he was cut off when North’s face turned red.

“Jack, did you know about the Vault?” he demanded.

Jack wanted to answer, but North gave him another shake, this one more violent than the last. Jack actually felt his neck start to ache.

“Did you open my Vault? Did you take my toys!” North roared.

“What? No! I didn’t know anything about your Vault, North, I swear!” Jack said finally.

“I just came to help!” Jack finished, but North was not having it.

“And I told you to leave! Why must you never listen! Why must you always go against what I tell you to do!” North demanded.

Jack’s eyes began to water. North’s grip was so tight on his arms, he was scared they would snap. If North didn’t let go soon, he might actually hurt him.

“North, please I was just concerned. I’ll leave, I promise. Please, just let me go.” Jack begged.

North didn’t let go and if anything, his grip got tighter. Jack let out a small cry.

“Please, North. You’re hurting me.” Jack whispered.

It was like Jack’s words had burned him. North released him so fast that Jack stumbled back and fell. Staring up at North, Jack was sure he had never been so afraid, never been so terrified of another person in his life. He grabbed his staff and bolted, flew right out of the shop and into the sky beyond. He flew until he landed in Burgess on his lake, where he finally felt safe enough to land. Even then, he couldn’t stop shaking and soon it started to snow. Terrified and not able to calm himself down, he curled up in the center of the lake and just lay there, shaking, clinging to his staff. That night, Burgess was hit with a blizzard like no other.

It was almost a day later that Jack finally got up from his spot. He had gotten the shaking to stop a while ago, but he just hadn’t felt like getting up. Slowly he took off his hoodie and stared at his arms, not understanding what he was seeing. He had two huge bruises, one on each arm. Hell, he could see each of North’s individual fingers in the outline of the bruises. He swallowed hard and felt his eyes water, but he shook his head and put his hoodie back on. North had just been upset, it was fine. North wouldn’t really hurt him, not in his right mind anyway. Swallowing, he called for the Wind and flew, not to the North Pole, but to the Warren.

Knocking twice, he entered, but he couldn’t stop the shaking of his limbs. Bunnymund showed up soon enough, looking furious, but when he saw Jack, he paused.

“Frostbite, listen. I am really busy right now and don’t have time for your pranks.” Bunnymund said annoyed.

“Bunny, come on, man. I’ll be good, promise. I’ll even help you paint your eggs if you want.” Jack offered.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Ice-Cube. I need all the contretation I can get and having you around is just asking for trouble. Now get!” he said pointing.

Jack looked down and nodded. He flew up and out of the Warren, never once looking back. Taking a deep breath, he flew to Toothiana’s Palace, landing just as night fell. The Palace was full of fairies, all darting here and there. Toothiana was in the middle of it all, directing her fairies and cooing over teeth.

“Hey, Tooth!” he called, but was ignored.

“Tooth!” he yelled again, but was ignored again.

“Toothiana!” he yelled louder, making her jump.

“Oh Jack, I didn’t see you there!” she said floating over, but she was still distracted.

“Do you mind if I chill here for a little?” he asked, but he could already see she was busy.

“Oh Jack, I wish you could, but I have so much to do! Ice hockey season just started!” she said cheerfully.

Jack frowned as she quickly got lost in her work once more, forgetting he was even there. Eventually, sick of being ignored, he left. He flew along, searching out the last guardian. He wasn’t too far and Jack felt relief seeing him, but it was clear Sandy was too busy for him too. He had at least twenty dreams that he was making all at once. Jack attempted to talk to him, but it was obvious Sandy was in the zone and couldn’t even see him. Normally, Jack would hang out anyway, but after today, he just wanted someone to talk to. 

After some time, Sandy drifted away and Jack was left alone, floating in the sky. Swallowing hard, Jack was sure he hadn’t felt this lonely since his first hundred years alive. Watching as the last of the golden sand disappeared, Jack bowed his head and closed his eyes.

“Wind, take me anywhere, but here.” Jack called.

The Wind did as it was told and soon Jack found himself in a very isolated part of Antarctica. Drifting along, Jack paused when he saw something seriously out of place. Landing, Jack found himself before the sculpture Pitch and he had made that one terrible Easter. Staring, he placed a hand against it and shivered. He could feel the black sand shifting inside the ice and it felt awful. He had never considered what had happened to it. Had always thought maybe it had melted over time, but it was clear it hadn’t.

Standing before what he saw as a monument of his greatest failure, the same feeling of loss and sorrow full his chest. Clenching tight at his hoodie above his heart, Jack’s eyes watered and those tears soon started to fall. He tore away from the statue, unable to look at it anymore and flew across the empty, barren wasteland. He eventually found a small cave that he walked into and curled up in. Feeling the emotional exhaustion pull him into sleep, he closed his eyes and hoped tomorrow would be better.

But even in sleep, he was not safe from the outside world. His dreams soon turned to nightmares and one lone creature tracked down the delicious scent of fear. Creeping from the shadows, the Boogeyman in all his horrible glory entered the small cave. Jack’s instincts warned him of the danger and his eyes shot open, blue met gold and Jack got to his feet.

“Pitch! Leave me alone!” Jack snarled, staff at the ready.

“Such hostility, Jack. I just came to say hello.” Pitch Black cooed, his silky voice echoing throughout the cave.

“Ok, you said hello, now leave.” Jack demanded.

He pressed his back against the wall, keeping his eyes locked on Pitch in front of him. Pitch blocked the only exit and Jack knew that he would have to fight if he wanted to get out of here.

“Come now, Jack. I don’t see why we have to fight.” Pitch said smoothly.

“Because you hurt children.” Jack replied.

“Do I though? I mean really, fear is a necessary part of growing up. If children don’t learn about fear, they never learn to be careful or cautious. They never learn to keep their curiosity in check, their wonder unwraps, their dreams contained. If anything, fear keeps those children safer than anything the guardians can do.” Pitch stated.

Jack frowned and glared at him. He was not about to believe Pitch actually cared about the children.

“Come now, Jack. Surely you can think of times where your fun went a little too far, where someone might have gotten….hurt.” Pitch smiled coldly.

Jack swallowed and tried not to think of those times. Those times were things got a little out of hand and blood mixed with his beautiful white snow. Where he watched fun and joy turn to fear and pain. That was just too much to think about. Had Pitch moved closer? Jack was suddenly startled to see that Pitch had moved closer and they were basically only feet away. Jack turned to back up more, but there was no place to go.

“But I don’t want to talk about the other children, Jack. I want to talk about you, the lonely winter child. It was your fear that brought me here and my, what delicious fear it was. Tell me, little Jack, what are you afraid of?” Pitch cooed.

“Not you!” Jack snapped.

There was nowhere to go, he was trapped. Panic set in and Jack went to blast Pitch away with his staff, but it was caught and Pitch pressed it between them, Jack sandwiched between Pitch and the wall behind him. Jack began to truly panic and struggle, but Pitch just cupped his chin and lifted his head up. Before he knew it, he was falling and when he stopped, he found himself in one of the many bird cages hanging around Pitch’s lair. 

He was in one big enough to stand in and it was, strangely enough, full of pillows and blankets. He crawled over to the edge and looked down, seeing Pitch watching him from below, idly twirling Jack’s staff in his hand.

“Pitch, let me out!” he yelled shaking the bars.

“Oh I think not, Jack. I think someone needs a time out for right now. Until we can talk without you getting emotional.” Pitch stated as he walked away.

Jack screamed for him to come back, but Pitch just disappeared into the darkness and Jack was left alone. Leaning back, he pressed his back against the bars and wrapped his arms around himself. He just hoped someone came for him soon.

 

North rubbed his hands together, nervously pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. It had been days since the Toy Vault incident, Easter had come and gone and North had called for a guardian meeting. He hadn’t seen hide or hair of Jack since that day and the guilt was eating him up inside. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jack’s terrified face looking back at him. He hadn’t slept in days, his own horror and guilt keeping him from getting a good night's rest. He hoped by talking to Jack today, that he could apologize and make it up to the frost spirit.

Toothiana flew in first, surrounded by fairies as usual, followed only by Sandy, who came in riding a golden pegasus. Bunnymund showed up soon after, quickly moving in front of the fireplace as he grumbled about the cold. North watched the window that Jack usually come through, but as minutes passed and Jack still did not appear, his heart began to sink.

“Where’s Jack?” Bunnymund asked after a few more minutes, once he was significantly warmed.

Toothiana frowned while Sandy shrugged. Bunnymund looked to North, but he just kept looking at the window, wringing his hands and looking nervous. Bunnymund frowned and moved closer to him.

“North? You ok there, mate? I’m sure Jack just got caught up in making a snow day somewhere. He’ll be here soon.” Bunnymund reassured him.

North just glanced at him and nodded silently, but kept looking towards the window. Bunnymund glanced at the other two, who just looked concerned and confused. A few more minutes passed and no Jack. Bunnymund crossed his arms with a huff as he tapped his foot.

“This is ridiculous. Some of us actually have work to do. North, just start the meeting. That bloody show pony will show up when he wants.” Bunnymund grumbled as he took some eggnog off a nearby tray.

North just shook his head and Toothiana stood up, floating over to him. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked at her.

“North, is something wrong?” Toothiana asked calmly.

North stared at her, his eyes watering heavily. The other guardians were startled by this sudden emotion and looked between each other. What had caused such a reaction from the usually jolly man?

“I have done a bad thing, Tooth. I fear Jack is not coming because of me.” North stated.

The fairy queen took in a deep breath. She was preparing herself for the worst.

“North, what happened?” she demanded.

North’s shoulders slumped and he dropped into his chair, covering his face with his hands. Everyone was quiet, staring at the leader with worry.

“I fear...I hurt Jack the last time we met.” North admitted.

Bunnymund dropped his eggnog, the cup smashing as soon as it hit the floor. Sandy’s mouth dropped in shock, the cookie he was eating falling from his tongue. Toothiana just stared before her wings started to beat faster.

“Hurt Jack? North, what do you mean you ‘hurt Jack’? What did you do to my Sweet Tooth?” she demanded angrily.

North swallowed and looked away from them all, unable to look any of them in the eye.

“He stayed behind after you all left. He found my Vault. I was so angry, so very angry and I grabbed him. I thought...I thought...” North couldn’t finish.

“You thought Jack had stolen your toys.” Bunnymund whispered.

There was a deathly silence that seemed to take over the room. North said nothing and either did the others.

“North, what did you do?” Toothiana stressed.

North’s lower lip trembled, tears falling. He looked so ashamed, so upset by what he had done.

“I grabbed him and I shook him. He told me...I was hurting him. He ran from me.” North admitted.

Toothiana stopped hovering, instead she stood before him. Sandy just shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe his own ears. Bunnymund just continued to stare.

“You hurt him...you hurt my Sweet Tooth?” Toothiana whispered.

“I didn’t mean to. I was just so angry.” North replied softly.

“North! It doesn’t matter how angry he made you, you never should have raised a hand to him!” she roared. 

She was suddenly hovering over him, fist raised as if to hit him. He shrunk back in his chair, wide eyed. Bunnymund jumped to his feet and quickly pulled Toothiana away before she could start swinging.

“I’m sorry.” North said.

Sandy drifted over and placed himself between them. He held up a stop sign to Toothiana before turning to North. Above his head, he made an eye, then a plus sign, then a snowflake with a question mark.

“I have not seen Jack since that day. That is why I called this meeting, to speak to him and apologize.” North stated.

“Wait, so you haven’t seen him at all?” Bunnymund asked as he put Toothiana down.

“Not at all. I was hoping he would come.” North admitted.

Sandy frowned and then looked at Bunnymund and Toothiana with the same question.

“I haven’t seen him since the day after the meeting.” Bunnymund stated.

“Same for me.” Toothiana said glaring at North.

Sandy made a smaller version of himself, plus a snowflake and then an eye crossed out.

“So none of us have seen the little guy since the day after the meeting? That was almost a week ago. He usually checks in with at least one of us every few days.” Bunnymund said nervously.

Toothiana called her fairies and asked them to ask around. As far as they knew, none of them had seen him either, not even while collecting teeth. Sandy explained that he hadn’t made any dreams for Jack recently either, which is how he normally kept track of Jack. Bunnymund huffed and crossed his arms.

“For right now, we just need to find him. Toothiana, send out your fairies to all the places they have seen Jack the most. Sandy, you start making some dreams and seeing if you can send them directly to Jack. I’ll check my Warren, see if he is hiding out there. North…” Bunnymund trailed off when the man looked at him hopefully before sighing.

“You stay here. Maybe Jack is just running late.” Bunnymund finished.

North’s shoulders slumped and he nodded. Bunnymund turned away from him and took in a deep breath. He prayed Jack was just upset and hiding and that he would be found soon. Bunnymund suddenly thought about Jack showed up at his Warren. He had been so concerned about Easter that he had let the younger guardian down. God, the poor kid had probably come to him because he was upset and Bunnymund had kicked him out without a care. He suddenly felt lower than dirt.

Opening a tunnel, he raced to the Warren. He searched high and low, but nothing. No sign that Jack had ever shown up at his home, no frost on any of the flowers, no ice on any river, nothing. Bunnymund felt a wave of despair, but hoped the others had found him instead. Racing back to the Pole, he found Toothiana right where he had left her. She was still floating, glaring at North with her arms crossed.

“Tooth, anything?” Bunnymund asked and she shook her head.

“Nothing so far, but we’ve only searched half the globe so far.” she admitted.

Sandy came drifting over just then, a frown on his face. He made a snowflake with little ‘zzz’ above its head and then made a huge ‘X’ over it. So Jack wasn’t asleep right now either. Bunnymund crossed his arms and frowned, wondering idly if Jack was really hiding or something worse had happened.

 

Jack huffed as he leaned back in his cage, wiping the sweat from his brow as he sat there. Pitch had cranked the heat, making the poor frost spirit suffer. His normally white skin was flushed red with heat, his hoodie soaked through as he tried to keep himself cold, but whatever ice he could make quickly melted before it was helpful. Jack let out a pitiful moan and curled up on his side.

“Pitch, please. It’s too hot.” Jack moaned.

“Oh, what’s wrong, Jack? Can’t handle it?” Pitch cooed down below.

The miserable fear maker seemed amused by Jack’s suffering. He sat down below, watching as Jack seemed to melt under the heat.

“I’m a frost spirit, you ass. Of course, I can’t handle the heat! Just let me go, please.” Jack’s tone changed from angry to begging. 

He just wanted to leave, to go to the Pole and be with the other guardians. God, everything felt so sticky and disgusting. He had never even attempted to try and stay in a climate too hot for him. So for him, this was pure torture. Closing his eyes, he prayed he would pass out, but like the last few days, the second his eyes closed, nightmares crept in and he was quickly awake again. Down below, Pitch laughed and Jack covered his ears, curling up like a small child.

“Come now, Jack. I’ve told you before, just submit to me and I will make it cooler in here. No reason for you to suffer like this.” Pitch was right outside the bars now, holding on with one hand while the other held his staff.

He eyed his staff before darting forward, but he was too weak and Pitch easily kept it out of reach. Jack let out a angry sob and pressed against the bars, clinging to them weakly.

“Pitch, please. I can’t.” he whispered.

“You only have to make one choice, Jack. All you have to do is agree to be mine.” Pitch said, cupping his cheek through the bars.

Jack shivered, despite the heat. Pitch had been saying the same variation of that sentence over the last several days. He didn’t like the possessive tone it held or the almost hungry look Pitch had in his eyes when he said it. Jack wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling there was more to it than just being Pitch’s partner in crime.

“I can’t. I won’t.” Jack muttered and Pitch’s smile died.

“Then suffer. And you will continue to suffer because your precious guardians don’t even realize you are missing.” Pitch said coldly.

Jack swallowed and turned away from him. Pitch had been saying that a lot too and while Jack wasn’t sure how long he had actually been down here, he knew it had been at least a few days. God, what if it had been a few weeks? He didn’t want to think about it.

“And even if they did notice, North is still probably upset with you. My, I haven’t seen him that upset in years.” Pitch said and Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

“And to think about it this way, they probably believe you did steal the toys and now you’ve disappeared with them. Oh yes, I doubt dear Nicholas will ever forgive you.” Pitch continued.

Jack shuddered and curled into himself, burying his face in his knees. God, what if he was right? North might actually hate him now.

“Poor Jack, he can’t seem to do anything right, can he?” Pitch finished before fading away.

Jack let out a scared, helpless sob. Curled up in his cage, he wondered if this would be the end for him.

 

Bunnymund stared at his fellow guardians and sighed. They had been searching for Jack for hours and even with all their power, it was clear Jack was nowhere to be found. Sandy had tried everything, but his sand couldn’t reach Jack. Toothiana’s fairies had searched every nook and cranny they could get into, but nothing. He had even gone to Jack’s more private places and nothing there either. It was like Jack had disappeared off the face of the planet. 

North seemed miserable, he completely blamed himself for Jack being missing and while Bunnymund wished to comfort him, he was not about to lose his hand because Toothiana was on the warpath. Toothiana was about to send her fairies out again for the third time when Sandy grabbed her arm. He shook his head when she looked at him before a mini version of Pitch appeared above his head and, in his hands, he held a snowflake.

“You don’t think?” North said with horror.

Sandy nodded sadly and even Bunnymund could admit that it made sense. If they couldn’t find Jack, there was one of two reasons: A. Jack didn’t want to be found or B. someone didn’t want Jack to be found. And Bunnymund highly doubted Jack could hide that well that Sandy couldn’t find him with dream sand.

“We need to consider it. We know of at least one place where Pitch’s hideout was. Let’s start there.” Bunnymund said.

For the first time, North looked determined. He got up and called for his coat and swords. After getting dressed, he pulled out a snowglobe and Bunnymund closed his eyes as they were transported to the lake beyond Burgess. Sure enough, a ritchy old bedframe sat nearby, the pit right under it. Bunnymund readied his weapons as they all jumped in, one by one. They landed and slowly moved along the pathways, coming out into Pitch’s lair soon enough. The heat hit them in the face as soon as they entered and Bunnymund found it amazingly hot.

“Why is it so hot?” North muttered confused.

A soft moan caught Bunnymund’s attention and he looked up to see a white hand hanging down from one of the bird cages above. He cursed loudly and jumped up, hopping from cage to cage until he got to that one.

“Over here!” he yelled, looking back before glancing at the young guardian.

He looked awful, sprawled out across the large cage with a pool of water underneath him.

“Jack, hey Jack!” Bunnymund called as he climbed around, trying to get to the lock.

Jack let out a soft moan and opened his eyes. Hazy and unfocused, they glanced his way before he closed them again. Bunnymund cursed as he struggled with the lock before Toothiana just sliced it off with her wing. Reaching in, he just barely touched Jack’s arm when he was ripped away. Letting out a yell, he turned to see a black mass holding him and Toothiana. Below, Sandy and North struggled to stay out of the black mass’ grip.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see you all so soon, but I suppose this works out for me, doesn’t it?” Pitch asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

Sandy and North were grabbed and all four were thrown to the floor, held down by chains. Bunnymund struggled, only to choke when one wrapped around his neck. Pitch stood before them, grinning like a loon, Jack’s staff in hand.

“How sweet, you all finally came to get little Jack, hm?” Pitch said and North snarled.

“Release him, Pitch! You have no right!” North barked and Pitch laughed.

“Oh, but you do? I saw those bruises, old man. You did quite a number on the little spirit, hm?” Pitch mocked.

Toothiana head snapped around to glare at North. Bunnymund winced at her look, but North kind of deserved it.

“Now, let’s see how Jack feels about this little reunion.” Pitch called.

Suddenly, Jack was there, standing before them, but not for long. He quickly collapsed to his knees, his face flushed heavily. Pitch gently cupped Jack’s face and tilted his head back to look in Jack’s eyes.

“Aw, poor Jack. You aren’t feeling very well, are you?” Pitch said with mock sympathy. 

The heat suddenly made sense and Bunnymund felt fear. Jack looked like he was on the hairy edge of having heat stroke and for a winter spirit, that could be deadly. Jack weakly reached out for his staff, but Pitch quickly pulled away, leaving Jack swaying before he was able to stop himself.

“Pitch, leave him alone! Can’t you see you are killing him?” Toothiana demanded.

Sandy was making all sorts of angry signs above his head as well. Pitch just snorted and walked around them.

“I gave him a choice, a way out, but he is being stubborn. Perhaps this will change his mind.” Pitch said.

Bunnymund felt something press against his neck and froze. Every instinct told him to stay absolutely still, that one wrong move and he would die. He could see them under the other’s necks as well. Pitch snapped his fingers and Jack slowly glanced up.

“Come now, Jack, pay attention.” Pitch said.

Jack’s eyes started to focus a bit and when he did, he seemed startled.

“Bunny?” he slurred, sounding drunk.

“No, Jack, up here. Pay attention to me.” Pitch snarled and Jack glanced up.

“Now, I tried being nice about this, Jack, but you gave me no choice. So, here we are.” Pitch said holding out his arms above the guardians.

Jack’s eyes were starting to clear, he seemed to be paying more attention now. He stared at each one in turn, taking in the blades under their throats and then looking at Pitch.

“Pitch?” he called.

“Yes, Jack, try to understand something. I am willing to make a deal with you, the guardians lives for your’s.” Pitch said pleased.

“What? Lives? I don’t understand.” Jack said panicked.

He looked at each guardian again, trying to find something in their eyes that told him this was all just a bad dream.

“Yes, lives, Jack. You give me yours and I let the little guardians go. Simple as that really.” Pitch said simply.

Jack continued to stare and Bunnymund wanted to tell him to say no, to tell Pitch to stick his compromise where the flowers don’t bloom, but even the smallest sound would make the blade dig into his throat and Bunnymund knew he couldn’t take that risk.

“Come on now, I don’t have all day.” Pitch said annoyed.

“You can’t just expect me to do that!” Jack yelled, angry and Pitch hummed.

The blades pressed closer and Pitch grinned at their obvious discomfort.

“But, I can. Make your choice, Frost. Your life or theirs.” He stated and Jack’s shoulders slumped.

“Fine. Okay. You win.” Jack finally whispered.

Everything about him said he was defeated. He wouldn’t look them in the eyes and his body was slumped forward as if exhausted. Bunnymund wanted to run to him, but instead, Pitch stood behind him and placed his hands on Jack’s shoulders.

“Good boy. You will understand in time that you made the right choice. Now, say goodbye to the guardians. This is the last time you will ever see them.” Pitch cooed.

Jack’s head shot up and Bunnymund saw the moment Jack realized his freedom was lost. The shadows started to pull them away and Bunnymund struggled. He tore one hand free and reached for Jack, but it was too late. He watched as Jack disappeared before his eyes. They landed in North’s Vault of all places and Bunnymund resisted the urge to throw something. Toothiana got to her feet and covered her face with her hands, weeping. Sandy sat on the floor, staring at his hands as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

North, however, looked furious. He shot to his feet and stormed off, making Bunnymund frown. He was quick to follow North as he walked until they came upon a small room full of weapons. Bunnymund hadn’t even known he had all this.

“North? Mate?” he called as North started to grab anything and everything he could get his hands on.

“He will not win. I will not let him win. He will rue this day.” North muttered angrily and Bunnymund frowned.

Normally, Bunnymund would be right there with him, but they had to think about this rationally. They had already tried storming Pitch’s lair and look what happened. What they needed now was a plan. He placed a hand on North’s arm, who paused.

“North, I have an idea.” Bunnymund said just as Toothiana and Sandy showed up.

He had a plan and it was going to work, even if it killed him.

 

Jack swallowed hard as he followed Pitch. The man had refused to give him back his staff, but he had at least let the lair cool down, so Jack was no longer on the verge of collapsing. Now, however, Jack was going to learn what exactly he signed up for. He followed Pitch until they came to a room. As far as he could see it was at the very top of Pitch’s lair, as close as he would ever get to the land above. It had a bed, a closet and a huge window that seemed to take over most of the ceiling and also had all sorts magic and bars on it.

“What is this?” Jack asked as he walked in.

“Your room. From here on out, you will stay in here. You will conduct your winter from this room alone.” Pitch stated.

Jack whirled around and stared at him in horror.

“You can’t be serious! I can’t live like this! In some fancy cage!” Jack roared.

Pitch’s eyes took on a dark look and suddenly, Jack was pinned to the bed behind him, Pitch looming over him. Arms pinned and still weak, Jack could only stare as Pitch moved closer.

“You can and you will. Your life is mine to do with as I please. That was our agreement.” Pitch stated coldly before smiling.

“That means I own your magic.” he said leaning in closer.

“Your freedom.” he cooed gently in Jack’s ear.

“And your body.” he said before biting down viciously on Jack’s shoulder.

Jack screamed as Pitch’s teeth sunk into his skin. When Pitch pulled back, his lips were covered in blood and Jack sobbed, terrified. Suddenly Pitch was on the other side of the room and Jack pressed a hand to his shoulder. He slid back, away from Pitch until he hit the backboard of the bed.

“Now, if you are good, it can be quite….pleasurable for you as well.” Pitch grinned like a shark.

“But if you are naughty, it will only be pleasurable for me.” Pitch finished and with that, he left.

Jack was left sitting there, staring wide eyed at the door. He knew it would be locked, knew that Pitch wouldn’t take that chance that Jack would attempt to escape while his back was turned, but the sight of the locked door sent Jack into a panic attack. He curled up on the bed and prayed, prayed that someone would save him because he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to save himself.

 

Pitch was pleased. Oh yes, he was very pleased. Everything was going according to plan, everything had fallen into place so perfectly that he almost wanted to pinch himself. He was absolutely giddy and nothing could ruin his good mood. Well, almost nothing. He paused when he heard one of his Nightmares coming. It walked up beside him and whined, making him scowl. Those stupid guardians were actually attempting this again? How truly pathetic.

He appeared in the world above, right behind North and Toothiana, surrounded by Nightmares on all sides. He smiled, pleased by their obvious fear.

“You know, I always believed you two to be smarter than this. Looks like I was wrong.” Pitch stated as he pet on of his mares.

“We will not let you win, Pitch!” Toothiana cried.

Pitch rolled his eyes. Didn’t they understand that he had already won? He had Jack, there was nothing they could do to stop him now. He never saw Sandy and Bunnymund slip into his lair, nor did his Nightmares.

 

Bunnymund landed on the dreamsand with a oof. Looking at Sandy, they nodded and floated above the ground. The plan was simple: North and Toothiana would distract Pitch, act like they had come without Bunnymund or Sandy while they attempted to find Jack and got him out. Bunnymund stared at the vast lair and prayed they would get lucky. Landing in Pitch’s globe room, Sandy looked around and a ‘!” appeared above his head. There, leaning against Pitch’s throne, was Jack’s staff.

“Nice. Jack will be happy to see this” Bunnymund said as he grabbed it. 

Strapping it to his back, they looked at each other and nodded. They split up, hoping to cover more ground that way. Both of them had a snowglobe on them and if they found Jack, they were to use it immediately. They were taking no chances with this mission, they had maybe one shot to do this and if they failed, they might never see Jack again. Bunnymund darted around before finding the cage from earlier. It was empty, much to his dismay, but wait! Jack’s scent was all over the cage and with a quick whiff, he took off again.

He followed the trail, keeping to the shadows and peeking around corners until he felt the air getting significantly colder. He had to be getting close. Taking one more turn, he noted a rather solid looking door with two nightmares guarding it. Two quick egg bombs and they disappeared, most likely to tell Pitch, allowing Bunnymund to get close. Pressing an ear to the door, he heard the soft sound of sobbing and knew.

Leaning back on the floor, he slammed both feet into the door, busting it open before darting inside. Bunnymund stared at Jack and Jack stared, teary eyed at Bunny before he whimpered. Bunnymund didn’t think twice, he grabbed Jack in his arms and held him close. The smell of blood caught his attention and he leaned back to see a nasty bite wound on Jack’s shoulder. His eyebrows shot up and he looked at Jack.

“Jack, did Pitch...?” he trailed off as Jack nodded.

“He didn’t...touch you, did he?” Bunnymund asked and Jack shook his head.

The relief was almost enough to make Bunnymund collapse. The fear he had felt seeing the mark was almost enough to make Bunnymund hunt down Pitch himself, but for right now, he needed to take Jack home. He pulled out a small pouch of dream sand as well as a tiny fairy from one of his pockets.

“Tell them I got him and go.” he said as the two flew off.

With that, he pulled out his snowglobe and muttered “The Warren” before smashing it. They entered just as Pitch appeared and his scream of rage was the last thing they heard before they darted inside. They landed in a patch of flowers that Bunnymund had placed there for just that reason. As Bunnymund stood up, Jack tightened his arms around his neck and Bunnymund just held him as well. If Jack didn’t want to let go, he wouldn’t. As far as he was concerned, anyone who tried to take Jack would have him to deal with.

He carried Jack to his home and entered. He knew North, Toothiana and Sandy would have bolted as soon as they got the message, so he wasn't concerned about them, but Jack needed his attention. He was still too warm and that bite mark looked nasty.

“I’m just gonna place you down for a second, ok Jack?” he said as he got inside.

The arms tightened before letting go and Jack rubbed his eyes. Bunnymund handed his staff, causing the young spirit to smile and relax before he darted off. He got some bandages and a wet towel.

“I’m just gonna clean up your shoulder, alright?” Bunnymund said when Jack gave him a funny look.

Jack shivered and nodded, leaning his head back to give him room. He got to work cleaning it and wrapping it up, trying not to actually touch the skin. This was done in silence and when he finished, he looked at Jack, but Jack wouldn’t look at him. He was about to say something when Jack finally spoke.

“He told me that if I submitted to him, it would be pleasurable.” Jack muttered after a moment and Bunnymund almost choked on his own tongue.

Jack looked utterly ashamed, face flushed. Bunnymund hated that look and quickly tapped him on the nose.

“Hey, now you listen to me, Pitch is a sick fuck. No matter what he did to you, no matter what he tried to pull, it wasn’t your fault. This wound is definitely not your fault.” Bunnymund said and Jack looked at him.

“You promise?” he asked.

“On my life.” Bunnymund said and Jack gave a soft smile.

Bunnymund saw it then, a small strand of dream sand. So Sandy was ok, that was good. He hadn’t seen a fairy yet and that caused him some concern, but he kept that to himself. 

“What happened to everyone else? Are they alright?” Jack asked after some time and he nodded.

“North and Tooth acted as a distraction, they hightailed it out of there as soon as I got you.” Bunnymund stated and Jack frowned.

“Is it bad….that I didn’t think you guys were going to come back?” Jack asked and Bunnymund frowned.

“We would never leave you behind, Jack. What happened with North...I’m sorry. I should have stopped and listened to you. I should have made sure you were alright and I didn’t.” Bunnymund felt the guilt welling up, but Jack just put a hand on his arm and smiled.

“Don’t worry, Cottontail, I won’t hold it against you.” Jack said and Bunnymund relaxed.

It was then they heard a noise. Bunnymund tensed and grabbed his weapons while Jack got his staff. When they got outside, they found North, Toothiana and Sandy there. Toothiana let out a loud cry and hugged Jack tightly while Sandy smiled. North stood back, looking miserable.

“I hope you buggers gave Pitch a run for his money.” Bunnymund said.

Sandy gave an evil smile and Bunnymund chuckled. He had no doubt Pitch was probably hurting. When Jack finally looked at North, he flinched a bit, but didn’t back down. He let out a breath and rubbed his hands together.

“Jack, I want to apologize. What I did was unforgivable and I will understand if you do not wish to talk to me right now, but I hope I can make it up to you.” North said quickly.

Jack paused and then smiled before patting him on the arm.

“It’s ok, North. I know how important your toys are to you. Hopefully we can help find them together?” Jack asked and North smiled.

“Bah, who cares about some old toys. I can always remake them, but there is one thing that is irreplaceable.” North said booping Jack on the nose.

Their happiness was short lived. The shadows started to quaver and shake and Bunnymund cursed. He had the advantage in his Warren, but if Pitch was that willing to come here to get Jack back, then it was obvious the bugger had lost his damn mind. The guardians surrounded Jack on all sides, ready and willing to fight to their last breaths to keep Pitch away.

“How sweet, such a lovely reunion. It’s utterly sickening.” Pitch hissed as he stepped from the shadows, Nightmares at his heels.

Bunnymund eyed the army before them, taking note that Pitch was not holding back on this one. This would be an all out assault. Bunnymund shifted his stance a bit, but a tap on his shoulder made him glance back. Jack stood there, head held high and Bunnymund could see the slight glow of his eyes. Bunnymund stepped aside, as did Sandy and Jack stepped out in front.

“Oh Jack, are you going to make this easy for me?” Pitch asked with a smirk, but Jack just shook his head.

Jack stood there, before holding his hand out and with a wave, the nightmares on either side of Pitch were frozen solid. Pitch jumped a bit, startled, eyeing the mares with shock.

“You forgot something here, Pitch. I am not just a guardian, I am not just a child, and I am not just a winter spirit.” Jack said as the wind began to howl and the skies above began to darken.

“I am WINTER.” Jack stated as snow began to fall.

“And if you think you can control winter, try me.” Jack said as a blast of cold wind ripped across the field. 

The remaining mares were blown off their hooves, their cries of shock echoed across the Warren. Pitch was the only one left standing when it finished and even he wasn’t completely unaffected. His robe was ripped and his nose was frostbitten, he had his arms wrapped around himself and he was shivering so bad his teeth were chattering. He stared at Jack blankly, as if not understanding what Jack was saying.

“Let me make one thing really clear to you, Pitch. You caught me off guard the last time. There will not be a next time.” Jack said coldly.

Pitch stared in awe and a little bit of fear as Jack drifted closer. He floated above Pitch and glared down at him.

“You will leave me alone, you will stay away from the guardians or I will freeze you solid and throw you into the deepest, coldest pit in Antarctica I can find and leave you there. And believe me, no one will ever find you and that ice will never thaw as long as I am alive.” Jack stated, his voice booming.

Pitch stood there, wide eyed, staring at him before Jack smiled. Pitch flinched and was gone in seconds. Jack waited a moment more before relaxing, releasing his wintery grip on the Warren. The other guardians just gasped at him, mouths hanging open. Jack snorted when he turned and looked at them, covering his mouth as he started to laugh. Bunnymund was the first one to come out of his shock and he huffed when he realized the Warren was now covered in snow.

“I hope you plan on melting all of this, Frostbite.” he said annoyed, but still a little amazed.

Who knew Jack had that much power? The fact that he had made it snow in the Warren at all was amazing. Bunnymund eyed Jack a little and wondered how much power he actually had.

“Don’t worry, Hairball, I’ll melt it before I leave.” Jack said with a smile.

Toothiana grabbed Jack and hugged him close, relieved that Jack was ok. He hugged her back, sighing a little as he got lost in the warmth of her love. Sandy smiled mysteriously next to Jack and Bunnymund gave him a weird look, but the golden man just winked at him and Bunnymund decided he didn’t want to know. North, overjoyed by their victory, scooped everyone up in his arms and hugged them all with a laugh. Maybe this wasn’t the end completely, Pitch would most certainly try again, but for now, they had won, Jack was with them and all was right with the world. 


End file.
